Through the Looking Glass

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by Florencio B. de la Merced, Jr.



A Fanfic inspired by the anime Ranma 1/2 created by Rumiko Takahashi.

Their respective owners copyright all characters.



A project for the Fanfic Mailing List



Started August 8, 1997 10:50 am

Ended August 8, 1997 12:20 pm

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I suppose trouble was just lurking around the corner when I spotted Ryouga
standing there, underneath the lamp post, with a silly grin hanging across
his face when I finally was near enough to see him without squinting in the
dark. It was turning out into such a wonderful evening. I've finally taken
my fiancée, Akane Tendo, out to the movies and we haven't fought since we
came out of the her home. Now, however, seeing one of my rivals exhibiting a
devilish grin while Akane and I were going back to the Tendo dojo, a
horrible feeling crept up my back.

Akane didn't feel how I felt about Ryouga. She admired him more as a friend,
least knowing how much he loved her, that would always make me angry, since
his cursed self was more attached to my fiancée than myself. P-chan was
Ryouga, and this was his only advantage over me. So many times I've tempted
to finally reveal Ryouga to Akane, hoping that the instantaneous rage Akane
would react would finally put this guy, this mischievous pig, out of the
picture once and for all.

She traded evening greetings to our mutual friend. I was forced to extend
the same. Terribly tempted to call out an insult to discourage him, but
somehow the tranquility of the barren street tonight disheartens me. I was
however expecting him to give his best in disrupting our evening. With our
past experience with each other, why should I have reason not to feel
animosity with our meeting this night? So you'd understand why I was
surprised when he just gave back a witty good evening to both of us. I
thought that something was wrong with the scene.

We just walked past him. Akane's glance confirmed my suspicion. She too felt
something was wrong with Ryouga. I stopped extending my hand to tell her to
come back with me and talk with him. Though I knew this might not be a good
idea, we both agreed we had to find out. Ryouga did show some astonishment
when he saw us walk up back to him. He tried to speak first, revealing his
confusion to our return. I let Akane do the talking, since I knew we where
thinking about the same thing. He was reluctant to tell us anything though,
I guess he was trying very hard not getting anyone else involve in his
problem.

Someone was coming up the street, and the three of us noticed it
immediately. It was a girl, as I barely discerned the shapely outline in the
darkness. This stranger too intrigued Akane, mostly because she was
eliciting some amazing reaction from Ryouga. He was desperately trying to
get rid of us. But, the mystery that would soon be revealed kept us there. I
think we should have taken Ryouga's word since the street light finally
illuminated the figure we anticipated. It was Akane, another girl standing
there was in her same likeness. Though at first we thought it was Akari, but
Akane's fainting at my hands confirmed the other. I awed at how this woman
that Ryouga somehow knew was exactly like my fiancée, who I was now
lifeless and I'm carrying across the threshold. Ryouga has some great
explaining to do.

The four of us, Ryouga, me and apparently two Akanes, walked toward the
Tendo dojo. I didn't know what to say, only that I repeatedly ask who this
other Akane was. My concern was the one I held in my arms, the one I've been
with the whole evening. I couldn't help compare the two. Although she didn't
speak, the second Akane was her spitting image. Those lovely eyes, her cute
short hair, and a smile that was worth more than what it meant. I was
surprised that the smile she gave me stirred the same feelings inside of me,
as same feeling the Akane I knew was the real one, gave me that same night.

The Tendo household was thrown into chaos the moment we stepped inside.
Soun, Akane's father didn't know what to do. He saw two Akanes, one was
unconscious while another was visibly a disturbing sight. Kasumi, the eldest
daughter, only had exasperation for us. Nabiki on the other hand was a
little bit miffed by the incident. I explain my part, which hardly revealed
anything to clear up this mess. It was up to Ryouga, and what he has to say
in explaining to Akanes. At first he tried to cower out, but a quick punch
to his head quickly changed his mind. All eyes and ears awaited his
explanation. What we heard the next few minutes utterly blackened what
already was turning out to be a grim evening.

It turns out, Ryouga made a pact with the devil. Though I'm not surprised
that he would even do such a thing, what he asked for disturbed me more.
Another Akane was evidently the result, but I somehow knew the worst wasn't
that. Then he said it, that these two where one and the same person. The
devil didn't create a new Akane. He fashioned it so that the real Akane was
split into two. I found it hard to believe, but recalling our date proved
that something was not completely right with the Akane I've dated with.
Anger filled my mind, and promptly punched the pig till Akane held me off
herself.

It was a mistake. I didn't know everything. As if things weren't complicated
enough, the second Akane confessed to me. It wasn't Ryouga's fault. I
couldn't believe that, who else would think of such a nasty thing to befall
his fiancée. Then she told me that she was partly to blame. I had to sit
down, as I was finding it hard to digest everything that has happened to me,
to Akane, and even the other.

Her confession didn't make it easier to accept the truth. The whole Akane,
willfully allowing herself to become two persons so that I, her fiancée
would have a perfect evening without the interventions and jealous
interruptions of the pig, Ryouga. How could she, I cried out knowing that
the true Akane would probably lost forever. But this was just the beginning.
As I horribly found out, from her own mouth that there were more, more of
her out there.

Enough, I said. I had to remedy the situation. The first thing I had to do
was gather all the rest of her. As she confessed that more of her was with
his friends, ensuring that they wouldn't have done what they usually do
whenever Akane and I try to go on a date. I told my father to keep the two
here while I go get the others. My mind raced with anger even though I
perfectly knew that she only intended for us to be together peacefully. That
was stupid! Never in my wildest dream, would I ever have wanted this to
happen. Even for a night of being together was not worth having more of her
running around Nerima. Worst of it, the other selves weren't just running
around, but fighting those we knew would probably interfere and ruin our
date. My concern now extended to the other Akanes and I ran faster to find
the first one.

One by one I picked them like fruits off a bearing tree. Shampoo was
fighting one, Ucchan was teaching the other how to cook, Kodachi was also
fighting the another, and Kuno was beaten to the ground by the last. It
amusing to see four perfectly alike Akanes although I wouldn't have wanted
other people seeing us that night. Even I, with barely understanding the
circumstances, would have fainted dead way if I saw myself tonight, dragging
four fiancée's behind me.

With six Akanes, straddled around the training hall, was such a confusing
thing. Making it worse was the father not able to stop crying, two other
real sisters in shock, and a dejected fiancée, me not knowing what to do.
There was only one thing left to do, wait for the devil to show up and undo
this unholy exploit.

All through the night I kept watch. Even though they each tried their best
to comfort me, one Akane was all I needed. I need only the real one. I
couldn't bear myself listening to their apologies and cries. I was hurt and
if only I hadn't been so ignorant of her, Akane wouldn't have needed to do
this.

Kasumi and Nabiki entered the training hall first the next morning. They
brought us some delicious breakfast. Ryouga, who helped me look after the
six sleeping Akanes last night, didn't want to eat. He was ashamed to have
allowed Akane to go through with her current predicament. I hadn't noticed
at first, but Nabiki pointed the fact that each one, each Akane was somehow
different. The Akane I dated was sweet, and an attentive listener. Ucchan's
Akane surprised us when she told us she learned to cook okonomiyaki.
Kodachi's and Shampoo's Akane showed off what the real one had best to offer
in martial-arts skills, while Kuno's Akane got the grunt of Akane's inner
strength, something Ranma was so familiar with, the last one was Akane's
cunning self as she had elicited his help. I couldn't help myself but smile,
it wasn't often you could see all of Akane all at once.

Then he came, as the trap our fathers has set sprung into action.  Today,
Happosai will have to cure Akane, or die. Soun and my father dragged the old
ghoul's trampled body into the training hall and we all stood in desperate
anticipation to squeeze the solution out of him. He stirred and stood up and
perfectly knew what we all wanted.

Hours later I found myself sitting on top the dojo roof. I relaxed as a
glanced at Akane's gleaming face leaning on me. We didn't speak, but knew in
an instant that nothing was taking this moment from us. No one would
intrude. Everybody learned his or her lessons. I brought her face up to mine
and we kissed. Oblivious to us was how my father and hers were running
around the dojo. They were running away from two new Happosais, which they
thought they punted out of Nerima, had just happened to crop out of nowhere
after he cured my fiancée.



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